COIMBATORE: Wild elephant Rivaldo, known for its gentle attitude towards humans, had passed away after falling ill in the Nilgiris on Friday.
For the past three days, the tusker was spotted resting near a banana plantain in Masinagudi. “In recent months, Rivaldo’s health began to deteriorate due to age-related factors. Its movement also became limited due to deep injuries sustained in a fight with other wild elephants and was treated by veterinarians over the last three days,” said a forest department official.
Despite treatment, Rivaldo’s condition worsened and passed away in the afternoon. The 50-year-old elephant became a household name in Masinagudi after he began to frequent villages over the last two decades and got accustomed to villagers. Two months ago, the elephant, which used to be sighted frequently, had gone missing and was later discovered in a tea plantation.
Several years ago, forest staff, who were monitoring its movements, discovered that Rivaldo was suffering from vision impairment. After medical intervention in 2021, the elephant was relocated to Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR). It, however, returned to its home turf of Masinagudi within a few days. In tribute to the elephant, the villagers erected a banner featuring Rivaldo’s image in the locality.
In another wildlife-related incident, a 68-year-old man was trampled to death by a wild elephant at Anaikatti in Coimbatore on Thursday.
The deceased, Palanisamy, from Kondanurpudur village near Anaikatti, had gone to graze his goats in a hill region. As he didn’t return, even late in the evening, the family members had gone in search and found him dead with injuries sustained in an elephant attack. The forest department and police had sent the body of the deceased for a post-mortem at Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH).